EU foreign policy chief says diplomats are slow, ineffective and patronising

Josep Borrell criticises staff for not anticipating Ukraine invasion, and says he sometimes learns more by reading newspapers'

The EU's foreign policy chief has accused his top diplomats of being slow, ineffective and patronising towards the countries they work in, also berating them for failing to anticipate Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This is not a moment when we are going to send flowers to all of you saying that you are beautiful, you work very well and we are very happy," Josep Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign policy, told ambassadors who work for the EU's external action service.